Monday, July 15, 2013

Do it Yourself

Hey Jessica,

I've been pretty bored lately. In order to combat my boredom I've been on pinterest and have been doing various "do it yourself" crafts. Here's what I did this week! (Or watched my mom do for me.)

Mom made me two skirts. There were based off the pattern we got here. The second skirt we changed the top a bit.

Skirt number 1






Skirt number 2




I also upcycled a t-shirt. See, for the first skirt I had to dye the elastic and since we were already dying something I thought I would dye a t-shirt just because.





I got the idea for part of the shirt on some website that I don't remember. So here's the steps!


Step 1: Draw a line, extending the seam from the top of the shoulder, all the way down the sleeve


Step 2: Down an inch from the top of the sleeve, place a pin


Step 3: Cut up the line until you reach the pin. Stop there.


Step 4: Tie the ends together

 This is what it looked like at that point.



I decided that wasn't cute enough so I went farther.

I then added lace to the sleeves. With Mom's help, I sewed lace underneath the hole. (If we were to do this again, we would've done that before cutting the sleeve.

Then I traced the neckline of a cuter t-shirt and cut so that I have more of a boat/swoop neckline.

Mom then did a double stitch about 5/8 inch from the top to give it a more finished look.



Yay!

But that's not all I did this week. I made another earring frame hanger thingy for college. I used a lot of duct tape on the back. Good thing you can't see it.


I also made a coin pouch! I used leftover fabric from skirt number 1, a random zipper we had lying around from some sewing project that was never finished, and my imagination! Cute, huh?



So that's what I've been doing to stay busy. It's amazing, so much of it involved sitting around watching Mom sew. I should really start actually learning how. There's still a lot of summer left, so if you think of any crafts I could do, pin them or send them to me because even though I'm not bored at the moment, the boredom will come.

See ya!

Melissa


Friday, July 12, 2013

Top Tips for College

Melissa!!!

Well, you are growing up and heading to college soon, so here's my top tips. Some are quite random, some you've probably heard before, but here's what I've learned from 2 years of college:

1. Know the Climate

Nothing's worse than being stuck on campus wearing the wrong kinds of clothes, so know the climate and prepare for it. For me, this meant following Sunny's instructions and buying a nice, warm, stylish pair of waterproof boots. I wear those things so often! For you, this will probably be less about cold and snow and a lot more about wearing cool clothes to survive the heat.


2. Keep the Scholarship

College is expensive, so put your classwork first and get the grades to keep the scholarship. I believe that you can do great in any class as long as you put in the time. So give classes the time they need and get those grades!!!

3. Talk to people who know about your major.

This could include counselors, teachers, and most importantly, older students. They are the ones who know about good teachers, bad teachers, hard classes, easy classes, and when you should start looking at jobs and internships. There is no better resource for finding out exactly what you need to succeed in your major.

4. Take advantage of on-campus jobs

This is something I didn't do. In today's economy, every employer expects you to be overqualified for even the smallest job. Finding a job at home for the summer is extremely difficult if you don't have any work experience. However, on-campus jobs aren't as picky. My job in the math lab didn't even ask about job experience. So start working early and get plenty of job experience before you start looking for internships. I didn't do this, and now I'm looking for internships and will only have a few months to a year of work experience to put on the resume. Start working early, even if its only working 10 hours a week or less.

5. Go to Activities Alone.

This one also took me a while to get used to. Freshman year, I didn't feel comfortable to activities or clubs without dragging one of my roommates along. Well guess what, they were busy a lot of the time I wanted to do things, so I stayed home. DON'T DO THAT!!!! Go alone, it will let you meet more people, cause guess what? If you always go with someone you know, you will only stick around them and never meet anyone new. Find clubs your interested in, go to ward activities, go to institute, go to everything! It's a lot more fun than sitting at home.

6. Take Fun Classes.

Take that hula class, take that bowling class, take that social dance class. They're easy, fun, and that's where you meet a lot of people. Guess where most of my dates sophomore year came from? My social dance class! You don't get know people sitting next to them and listening to a professor, you get to know them trying something outside your comfort zone and by actually talking! So have fun, learn a new talent, and meet people.

7. Always, Always, Always, do your Dishes

Freshman year, I heard a lot of drama about roommates because that was when everyone was just randomly put together. But the one thing I learned is that almost every argument boiled down to one thing: cleanliness. If one person didn't do their dishes or clean up their stuff from the living room, the whole apartment was mad and no one was able to be friends. It doesn't matter how kind or interesting you are, if you don't clean up after yourself they won't see you as anything but a slob. So for roommates, the first step to being friends is cleaning up after yourself. (Even if this means making a pile of stuff on your bed everyday. Just keep the community space clean)

8. Boys

I guess they need their own category, huh? My friend Wilson pointed out something quite strange about BYU culture: people look at meeting the opposite gender purely as a way to find their next boyfriend/girlfriend, and if it doesn't work out they never see each other again. Well, that's just stupid. Look for friends first, of both genders! Being friends first is a lot simpler, easier, and more fun. If something develops, great! If not, you have a new friend to hang out with.

9. Be Prepared

Always have the ingredients for your favorite treat on hand. For me, it's chocolate chip cookies. You never know when you'll have a bad day, some free time with a friend, or someone to thank. Having the ingredients on hand for something delicious and simple is a quick fix for any of these. The only hard part is not making them too often! (Also, have a can of chicken soup in the cupboard for those lazy days, those sick days, or for a friend in need. Thanks to Dad for that tip)

Wow, I'm kinda surprised I came up with that many! You've probably heard some of these before, but it's what I thought was worth repeating. I hope it's actually helpful!

-Jessica

Sunday, July 7, 2013

So Much Stuff!

Hey Jessica,

So much stuff has happened in the long time since I've written last, so I'm just going to post some pictures with brief descriptions.


 I went to the Priest/Laurel Formal with some friends. I reused an old formal dress. It was a ton of fun!


 I also went to prom! I had a lot of fun going to Stanford's to eat, going to Target to get mints (inside joke), being all fancy at prom, and having good treats at a friend's house afterwards. I got my hair done at a fundraiser at Sunset High School then Sister Densley did my makeup. I felt really fancy.


Kevin came home from his mission! It's exciting to have him around again. He's engaged now. I've forgotten what it's like to have a guy in the house besides Dad.


I graduated! With an "A" in calc. (That's because of all your help.) The red sash is for being an Academic Scholar and the white cord is for the Instrumental Music Career Pathway. The medal is because everyone gets a medal. Guess what! I got a 5 on my AP Psychology exam! I'm so happy! It's my first 5.


I went to New York!!! This is a picture of the Statue of Liberty


 This is a panoramic shot from the boat I took to the Statue of Liberty.



This is a panoramic shot from the top of the Empire State Building at night.


This is a panoramic shot of Central Park.

Obviously I love the panoramic shots.

I got to see the American Museum of Natural History, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, the New York Public Library, the Guggenheim, Carnegie Hall, Julliard, the Manhattan Temple, The Lion King (Broadway), Matilda (Broadway), Times Square, Tiffany's, Grand Central Terminal, Brooklyn Bridge, and lots of other fun places. And I was with my best friend (and her mom) the entire week!  I'll never forget that experience.

Anyway, I'm not being very descriptive so I'll stop shoving my good fortune in your face. However I hear you have your room up in Provo, which is more than I can boast here. I'm not the only lucky one.

Love you!

Melissa